'Hero' retiree turns 'Florida man' trope on its head with incredible rescue of puppy from gator's jaw

While a certain Florida man plots how to squat in the White House long past his unceremonious eviction, a venerable Floridian hero is reshaping what it means to be a "Florida man" after surveillance cameras caught him on-tape rescuing his puppy from the jaws of an alligator.

AS CBS Miami reports, Richard Wilbanks, a retiree, wrestled the alligator in his backyard ponds after the reptile snatched up his 3-month-old puppy Gunner.

"We were just out walking by the pond, and it came out of the water like a missile," Wilbanks told CNN. "I never thought an alligator could be that fast. It was so quick."

"I just automatically jumped into the water," Wilbanks said of the rescue.

In addition to single-handedly prying open the gator's mouth to free his puppy's leg, observers note that this gentleman is likewise single-handedly redefining what it means to be a "Florida man." Some are also pointing out that this Florida man completed his heroic feat without even dropping his cigar.

Check out some responses below. And learn from Wilkens, who now walks Gunner on a leash, at least 10 feet from the pond's edge.